COMETS OPEN DOUBLEHEADER WITH 6-4 WIN IN HARRISBURG

HARRISBURG, PA - (February 22, 2025) - The Kansas City Comets held on to snag their fourth road win of the season as they defeated the Harrisburg Heat 6-4 on Saturday at Equine Arena at The Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Saturday's victory was the Comets' sixth straight win, a current MASL high. Kansas City is eager to make it seven straight when they conclude their doubleheader with the Heat on Sunday.

Both teams had close chances early on, but the Comets were disappointed not to leap ahead first. The Heat struck first when Roshawn Panton forced a turnover before combining with Ozzy Annang before Panton applied the finish.

The Comets responded in a big way. They went on to score four straight the rest of the half, starting with a Nacho Flores layoff to Rian Marques, who smashed it into the top corner. Michael Lenis followed his own effort to put the Comets ahead 2-1 after 11:13 played in the first.

 

Kansas City added a third 4:12 into the second after Zach Reget's backheel assist allowed Erik Pereira to score his first career goal. Reget then got his own goal when he fired in on the right side, this time assisted by the long throw from Phillip Ejimadu to put KC up 4-1 at halftime.

The reigning Golden Boot winner continued his scoring spree into the third period. Reget's second of the game was aided by a deflection before finishing his first hat trick of the season 8:31 into the game, assisted by Marques, to give the Comets a 6-1 lead.

After allowing six goals without a response, the Heat finally made the Comets sweat it out. Harrisburg goalkeeper Hugo Silva scored from a deflected effort 8:53 into the third, followed by Dominic Francis in a shootout to make it 6-3 after three quarters.

Francis scored again 25 seconds into the fourth, making it a two-goal game. From that point on, the Comets found the airwaves to shut down the Heat, even killing a penalty before hearing the relief of the final buzzer with all three points secured.

Reget's 4-point night consisted of three goals and an assist, followed by a goal and an assist for Marques. DeBray Hollimon led defenders with four blocks while Comets coach Stefan Stokic was happy to see Pereira to get rewarded with his first career goal.

"It's crazy how he's improved since he came here (to Kansas City)," Stokic said. "This is his second season and I feel like every season he gets better and better. His hard work and dedication is paying off. He's doing all the right things and he wants to be on the field."

The Comets are treating this weekend as a tune-up for the quarterfinal and semifinal playoff matchups in San Diego next month. Being able to play on back-to-back days is something that may be needed then, so they are preparing for it now.

"We want to treat it that way," Stokic said. "Tomorrow's game is the most important game of the season for us."

The Comets will conclude their Harrisburg trip with a game on Sunday at 4 p.m. Kansas City returns home next Saturday for a big playoff rematch against Utica City FC.

1st – HAR Panton (Annang) 4:47; KC Marques (Flores) 6:09; KC Lenis 11:13. Penalties – None.

2nd – KC Pereira (Reget) 4:12; KC Reget (Ejimadu) 11:44. Penalties – HAR Favila (yc - dissent) 10:08.

3rd – KC Reget 4:38; KC Reget (Marques) 8:31; HAR Silva 8:53; HAR Francis 13:53 SO. Penalties — KC Flores (bc - pushing) 8:02; HAR Urie (bc - pushing) 8:02; HAR Francis (bc - tripping) 8:10; KC Ejimadu (bc - GK handball outside the box) 13:51.

4th – HAR Francis 0:25. Penalties – KC Ramirez (bc - boarding) 2:08.

Power Play – Comets 1/1, Harrisburg 0/1

Penalty Minutes – Comets 6, Harrisburg 9

Fouls – Comets 22, Harrisburg 23

Shots – Comets 33, Harrisburg 32

Blocks - Comets 15, Harrisburg 11

Attendance - 1,540